High performance cutting fluids for glassy, crystalline, or aggregate materials

Abstract

A cutting fluid applicable for the machining of vitreous, crystalline or aggregate materials such as glass, glass-ceramics, ceramics, stone, concrete, silicon and the like. The cutting fluid comprises a solution containing organic molecules—in particular silanes, silanols, and siloxanes—capable of forming covalent bonds with such vitreous, crystalline or aggregate materials. The organic molecules in the cutting fluid is believed to improve the rate of manufacturing productivity, surface finish quality, and decrease the incidence of sub-surface damage caused by particulate adhesion to the cutting or abrading tool during a machining process of these kinds of substrates. The reduced clogging of cutting surfaces and increased lubricity of the cutting fluid may also prolong the useful life of the machining tools when used against these kinds of substrates.

We claim:  
     
       1. A cutting fluid for use in machining vitreous, crystalline, or aggregate materials, the cutting fluid comprising a solution containing at least one type of the following organic molecules: silanes, siloxanes, silanols, or cationic phosphonium compounds, wherein a molecule of said silanes, siloxanes or silanols has a leaving group. 
     
     
       2. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said silane is represented by the general structural formula of:                    
       wherein a+b+c+d=4, and 1≦d<4 and R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  each is a hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon of either an alkyl, branched, unbranched, phenylated, or cyclic structure; and  
       wherein X is selected from the following group: —OH, —halide, —O-alkyl when d is less than 3.  
     
     
       3. The cutting fluid according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of said R-groups is at least 6 carbons in length when not either an alkyl or alkoxy radical. 
     
     
       4. The cutting fluid according to  claim 2 , wherein at least one of said R-groups is at least 8 carbons in length. 
     
     
       5. The cutting fluid according to  claim 2 , wherein said silane is a C 18 -hydrocarbon silane. 
     
     
       6. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said solution contains cationic silanes. 
     
     
       7. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said cutting fluid is an aqueous solution in which said organic molecules are dispersed to about a 10% weight concentration. 
     
     
       8. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said materials include inorganic oxides, or mono-crystals or poly-crystals. 
     
     
       9. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said materials include carbonates, aluminosilicates, silicates, and phosphates of any inorganic cation. 
     
     
       10. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said materials include two or more inorganic oxides either chemically combined or physically blended. 
     
     
       11. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said vitreous or crystalline materials comprise glass, glass ceramics, or ceramics. 
     
     
       12. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said vitreous material is high purity fused silica. 
     
     
       13. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said vitreous material is an optical glass. 
     
     
       14. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said crystalline material is silicon. 
     
     
       15. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said crystalline materials include fluoride crystals. 
     
     
       16. The cutting fluid according to  claim 15 , wherein said fluoride crystals includes LiF, MgF 2 , CaF 2 , or BaF 2 . 
     
     
       17. The cutting fluid according to  claim 16 , wherein said fluoride crystals is CaF 2 . 
     
     
       18. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein when machining aggregate materials molecules of said silanes, siloxanes, or silanols in solution each have a R-group of at least 8 carbons in length when said R-group is either an alkyl or alkoxy radical. 
     
     
       19. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said cutting fluid forms a self-assembled monolayer on said materials and any particles thereform. 
     
     
       20. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said solution removes any vitreous or crystalline particles or other contaminants generated during said machining. 
     
     
       21. The cutting fluid according to  claim 1 , wherein said solution substantially reduces physical vibrations, and reduces friction at a tool-workpiece interface. 
     
     
       22. A cutting fluid for use in machining vitreous, crystalline, or aggregate materials, the cutting fluid comprising a solution containing molecules of at least one type of organosilane or cationic phosphonium compounds, wherein said molecules of organosilane each have a R-group of at least 7 carbons in length when said R-group is either an alkyl or alkoxy radical. 
     
     
       23. The cutting fluid according to  claim 22 , wherein said cutting fluid forms a self-assembled monolayer on said materials and any particles therefrom. 
     
     
       24. The cutting fluid according to  claim 22 , wherein said organosilanes includes: silanes, siloxanes, silanols. 
     
     
       25. The cutting fluid according to  claim 22 , wherein said materials include inorganic oxides, or mono-crystals or poly-crystals. 
     
     
       26. The cutting fluid according to  claim 22 , wherein said materials include two or more inorganic oxides either chemically combined or physically blended. 
     
     
       27. A method of machining substrate materials, the method comprising: providing a cutting fluid comprising a solution containing molecules of at least one type of organosilane or cationic phosphonium compound, wherein each molecule of said organosilane has a leaving group; providing a substrate of vitreous, crystalline, or aggregate material; applying said cutting fluid to said substrate material; and machining said material with said cutting fluid thereon. 
     
     
       28. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said applying and machining steps are executed simultaneously. 
     
     
       29. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said cutting fluid is an aqueous solution in which said organic molecules are dispersed to about a 10% weight concentration. 
     
     
       30. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said organosilane molecules includes: silanes, siloxanes, silanols. 
     
     
       31. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said organosilane is represented by the general structural formula of:                    
       wherein a+b+c+d=4, and 1≦d<4, and R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  each is a hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon of either an alkyl, branched, unbranched, phenylated, or cyclic structure; and  
       wherein X is selected from the following group: —OH, —halide, —O-alkyl when d is less than 3.  
     
     
       32. The method according to  claim 31 , wherein at least one of said R-groups is at least 8 carbons in length. 
     
     
       33. The method according to  claim 31 , wherein at least one of said R-groups is at least 10 carbons in length. 
     
     
       34. The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said organosilane is a C 18 -hydrocarbon silane. 
     
     
       35. The method according to  claim 31 , wherein said cutting fluid forms a self-assembled monolayer on said materials and any particles therefrom. 
     
     
       36. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein a molecule of said organosilane has a leaving group. 
     
     
       37. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said solution contains cationic silanes. 
     
     
       38. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said machining step is performed with substantially reduced physical vibrations, and reduced friction at a tool-workpiece interface. 
     
     
       39. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said vitreous, crystalline, or aggregate material is selected from the group consisting of inorganic oxides, mono-crystals and poly-crystals. 
     
     
       40. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said solution removes any vitreous, crystalline, or aggregate particles or other contaminants generated during said machining step. 
     
     
       41. The method of according to  claim 27 , wherein said machining step comprises a cutting step. 
     
     
       42. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said machining step is one selected from the group consisting of: an abrading, cutting, sawing, grinding, edging, or polishing step. 
     
     
       43. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said vitreous, crystalline or aggregate material comprises glass, glass ceramics, or ceramics. 
     
     
       44. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said vitreous material is high purity fused silica. 
     
     
       45. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said vitreous material is an optical glass. 
     
     
       46. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said crystalline material is silicon. 
     
     
       47. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said crystalline materials are fluoride crystals. 
     
     
       48. The method according to  claim 47 , wherein said fluoride crystals include LiF, MgF 2 , CaF 2 , or BaF 2 . 
     
     
       49. The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said vitreous, crystalline, or aggregate material has a form selected from one of the following consisting of: slab, wafer, bulk-solid, sheet, disk, washer, cane, tube, cone, and ribbon. 
     
     
       50. A machining method, the method comprising: providing a cutting fluid comprising a solution containing molecules of at least one type of organosilane or cationic phosphonium compound; providing a substrate material consisting essentially of inorganic oxides, mono-crystals and poly-crystals; applying said cutting fluid to said substrate material; and machining. 
     
     
       51. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said applying and machining steps are executed simultaneously. 
     
     
       52. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said cutting fluid is an aqueous solution in which said organic molecules are dispersed to about a 10% weight concentration. 
     
     
       53. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said organosilane is represented by the general structural formula of:                    
       wherein a+b+c+d=4, and 1≦d<4, and R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  each is a hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon of either an alkyl, branched, unbranched, phenylated, or cyclic structure; and  
       wherein X is selected from the following group: —OH, —O-alkyl, -halide.  
     
     
       54. The method according to  claim 53 , wherein at least one of said R-groups is at least 8 carbons in length. 
     
     
       55. The method according to  claim 53 , wherein at least one of said R-groups is at least 10 carbons in length. 
     
     
       56. The method according to  claim 53 , wherein said organosilane is a C 18 -hydrocarbon silane. 
     
     
       57. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said cutting fluid forms a self-assembled monolayer on said materials and any particles therefrom. 
     
     
       58. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein a molecule of said organosilane has a leaving group. 
     
     
       59. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said cutting fluid forms a self-assembled monolayer on said materials and any particles therefrom. 
     
     
       60. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said machining step is performed with substantially reduced physical vibrations, and reduced friction at a tool-workpiece interface. 
     
     
       61. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said machining step is one selected from the group consisting of: an abrading, cutting, sawing, grinding, edging, or polishing step. 
     
     
       62. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said substrate material comprises glass, glass ceramics, or ceramics. 
     
     
       63. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said substrate material is high purity fused silica. 
     
     
       64. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said substrate material is an optical glass. 
     
     
       65. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said substrate material is silicon. 
     
     
       66. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said substrate material includes fluoride crystals. 
     
     
       67. The method according to  claim 66 , wherein said fluoride crystals include LiF, MgF 2 , CaF 2 , or BaF 2 . 
     
     
       68. The method according to  claim 50 , wherein said substrate material includes two or more inorganic oxides either chemically combined or physically blended. 
     
     
       69. A cutting fluid for use in machining vitreous, glass-ceramic, non-oxide or non-metallic crystalline materials comprising a solution containing at least one type of organic molecule selected from the group consisting essentially of an organosilane, siloxane, silanol, or cationic phosphonium compounds, wherein said molecules have a leaving group. 
     
     
       70. The cutting fluid according to  claim 69 , wherein said solution is an aqueous solution. 
     
     
       71. The cutting fluid according to  claim 69 , wherein said silane is represented by the general structural formula of:                    
       wherein a+b+c+d=4, and 1≦d<4, and R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  each is a hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon structure selected from the following group: alkyl, branched, unbranched, phenylated, or cyclic; and  
       wherein X is selected from the following group: —OH, —halide, or —O-alkyl when d is less than 3.